Open thread: The second debate

posted at 8:38 pm on October 16, 2012 by Allahpundit

9 p.m. ET across the dial, don’t miss your chance to watch a man who “really doesn’t like people” try to relate to average voters. According to Team Mitt, all they need tonight is a tie:

“He does not need to take home the same performance” as in the first debate in Denver on Oct. 3, in which Romney was widely considered the dominant debater, the aide, who is involved in the debate preparation, told National Journal on Tuesday. He said that the Romney team is preparing for a fierce attack from Obama on all fronts even though a town-hall format generally requires candidates to address questioners from the audience more than they do each other.

“They can’t afford another debate where they don’t lash out,” said the aide, who would speak only on condition of anonymity about internal debate preparations. “So we’re ready for it: the ‘47 percent’ comment, Bain Capital, the Cayman Islands” tax shelters, all of which have been staples of the Obama ad campaign in recent months…

The Romney team doesn’t expect foreign policy to dominate this debate, but they also hope to raise fresh questions over the Sept. 11 death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Libya by focusing on what they consider a misstatement by Vice President Joe Biden in his Oct. 11 debate with Rep. Paul Ryan, the aide said.

Benghazi is one obvious line of attack. Another, I hope, is Mitt trying to pin Obama down on what exactly he intends to do with a second term. For all of the Democrats’ cutesy-poo gimmicks about Romney’s evasiveness, the incumbent’s vision for America over the next four years is conspicuously thin, much to the dismay of Democratic pollsters. As for O, he’s got two basic themes, each of them potentially problematic. One: He’ll dismiss Romney’s messaging at the first debate as evidence that he’s a flip-flopper, although that’ll undercut Team Obama’s months-long messaging about what a committed neo-Goldwater ideological fanatic Mitt supposedly is. Two: He’ll go after Romney on Bain and the “47 percent,” although if he’s too nasty about it he’ll risk leaving the sort of jackhole impression that Biden left after the VP debate. Biden could get away with that because he’s Biden, because he was playing to his base, and because ultimately no one really cares what happens at the VP debate. Obama, who’s been banking on a vanishing “likeability gap” with Romney to put him over the top, really can’t. There’s very little left of Hopenchange circa 2008 as it is; if he loses his above-the-fray Bambi image too, then there’s basically nothing.

Having said that, I think there’s virtually nothing O could do onstage tonight short of barfing on someone that’ll get the left to admit afterward that he did poorly. They desperately need him to have a good performance to remain viable, and thus the narrative will make it so tomorrow even if Obama doesn’t make it so tonight. His problem is that, even with that media cushion, it’s unlikely that Romney will falter, which is really what O needs to reverse the momentum here. The only thing I can think of that might potentially get hairy for Romney is if he’s put on the spot by a questioner who’s either extremely confrontational or somehow deeply sympathetic — a “YouTube moment,” in other words. Romney can handle himself against O, but the crux of the Dems’ message against him has always been that he’s some sort of enemy of the working man. If they get a moment like that tonight, of some audience member being accusatory with Romney, that could get traction. All depends upon how he handles it, of course.

Here’s the Hot Air/Townhall Twitter widget for live-tweeting. While we wait, revisit four of Obama’s emptiest campaign promises from the last townhall debate he did in 2008, as there are bound to be a few more tonight. And bear in mind that no matter how well he does, his campaign’s still facing one last jobs report before election day — and all signs point to something not so hope-y change-y. Exit quotation from Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg: “The danger for Obama is that Romney would become the candidate of change.”

Blowback

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One evening as the sun went down
And the jungle fires were burning,
Down the track came a hobo hiking,
And he said, “Boys, I’m not turning
I’m headed for a land that’s far away
Besides the crystal fountains
So come with me, we’ll go and see
The Big Rock Candy Mountains”

There are no opponents to Obama in tonight’s town hall debate except maybe one or two vastly outnumbered racists. Obama can not lose the debate! Never! No, fellow Democrats I am not scared of losing and neither should you be! Search for the truth. I tell you things and I always ask you to verify what I say. I told you yesterday that there are no dissatisfied people in America. You can go and visit any state at all. No dissatisfied person there. No one at all. There are only supporters of Barack Obama except for a few crazy constitution clingers. Everything is okay.

By Obama, I think Obama will win in this debate and the next one and go on to an easy 57 state landslide. Any talk of his defeat is merely an insane prattle. The fact is that as soon as Mitt Romney reaches the stage, Obama will besiege him and slaughter him. Wherever Romney tries to run to on the stage he will find himself encircled by Obama’s great intellect and command of the facts. Mitt Romney will be burnt. Mitt Romney will be buried. Obama will tackle him. Obama will hit him with shoes! Obama’s opponents will soon be committing suicide by the thousands as they realize that Obama can not lose.

I’d pray to the patron saint of debaters if there was one, but I don’t think there is. Catholics have saints for pretty much everything else. St. Jude is always the default saint, being the patron saint of impossible causes.

Hold neither high expectations for Romney nor low expectations for Obama. Here is all you need to know:

1. Candy “Sam Kinison” Crowley is in the tank for Obama
2. Gallup selected all “independent” voters from Nassau County in a dark blue state
3. Some if not many of these people will eventually be exposed as Democrat plants
4. Candy has full discretion over which pre-submitted questions to present and which candidate to present those questions to
5. Obama will get softball questions along with help from Candy
6. Romney will get hardball questions along with myriad interruptions from Candy.
7. Obama will be acclaimed the overwhelming victor of the town hall debate by the Drive-Bys shortly before the event itself has actually concluded.

Happy viewing, my friends. As usual, the lovely and ever-gracious Nicole will be watching the event on TV while I will be following it here.

Mitt Romney is carrying a heavy burden. He’s a decent man who is trying to help right our ship of state and put it on a steadier course, not because he hopes to enrich himself by doing so (he’s already plenty rich), but because he believes it is the right thing to do. Let’s help him out by lifting him up in prayer.

Green Party protesters led away by police at Hofstra Debate [VIDEO]
on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
****************************

Civic debate isn’t the only democratic process on display in Hempstead today. Several hours before the start of the debate, various activist groups gathered across from the main entrance of Hofstra University to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Representatives from various activist groups, including PETA and the Socialist Alternative, gathered on the corner of Hempstead Turnpike and California Avenue.

After gathering alongside the other groups, Jill Stein, a Green Party candidate for president, along with her running mate Cheri Honkala, attempted to gain access to the debate hall. Stein was denied entrance to the campus by Hofstra representatives because she did not have credentials. Eventually police barricaded the entrance.
==========

I think the whole debate is gonna pretty much boil down to the first mention of “47 percent” and Mitt’s response. That brief exchange is gonna determine the outcome of the debate, and maybe even the whole election!

Gracious Father, please protect and guide Mitt Romney as he continues to lay out his vision for restoring and making America great again.

22044 on October 16, 2012 at 8:40 PM

Amen and amen!

I’d pray to the patron saint of debaters if there was one, but I don’t think there is. Catholics have saints for pretty much everything else. St. Jude is always the default saint, being the patron saint of impossible causes.

TxAnn56 on October 16, 2012 at 8:46 PM

I bet there is one. I was surprised back in the 90s when St. Gabriel was designated the patron saint of the Internet. But St. Jude will do just fine. :)

After watching Martha Radish, I can expect anything. I will pray that Mitt has an awesome debate and puts this election away.

Philly on October 16, 2012 at 8:49 PM

Hear, hear.

I know Romney can do it. He dealt with Obama well before, he’ll do it again.

My only fear? Crowley will pick the “random audience question” that broaches the 47% remark. I guarantee you it’ll come from the audience and not Obama. Romney will be hard-pressed to defend it against Joe or Jane Voter.

The first presidential debate, I watched it live and then came here to check the reaction. I thought it was just edge for Romney – then I saw everyone here calling it a stomping, then I watched it again, and I saw how much more in command Romney was.

The VP debate, I DVRed it, called my mom first to get her reaction, then checked out about a page of comments here, then watched it, then later read more comments. She said she was yelling at the TV screen because of Biden’s smirking and disrespect. I ended up not yelling, but shaking my head at how pathetic it is that this person is VP.

Tonight, I have to briefly go shopping, so I may do chase play on the DVR.

One thing I wonder if MItt shold bring up -

0bama’s judgment in putting a smirking fool one heartbeat from the presidency. I think it’s actually an issue. Romney could do a quick segment in which he compares his VP choice with 0bama’s.

Will Romney go the whole debate without mentioning Biden’s disgraceful demeanor? I wonder.